THE RELIGION OF NATURE 



blow by the movement of your head a few inches 

 to one side; or, if you prefer it, you avert 

 the blow with a dexterous guard of one hand, 

 at the same time returning it with the other. 

 That is the triumph of consciousness, armed by 

 training. 



But all such conscious acts of self-defense re- 

 quire an instant of time for their completion ; and 

 the best pugilist is he who, by persistent training, 

 has almost learned to translate the conscious pro- 

 cesses of his mind into flashes of instinct. What 

 this means may be understood from our instinc- 

 tive habit of defending our eyes from injury. 

 When a man aims a blow at your head you may 

 dodge or duck or ward the blow. This will be a 

 conscious action. But, if anything seems likely 

 to strike your eye, you blink; and to blink is in- 

 stinctive and instantaneous. 



It is a common game among boys to test each 

 others' nerve by defying a companion to refrain 

 from blinking when a pretended blow is aimed at 

 the eye. 



In such a case you know perfectly well that 

 you will not be hit. Your reason is commanding 

 your nerves to take no notice of the pretended 

 blow. Yet, when the fist comes suddenly toward 

 your eye you blink. 



To shut the eyelid over the eye is an admirable 

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